It's fitting that exactly 40 years after the "Balibo Five" journalists were killed, a media award in their honour will be relaunched and will ensure their story and the issues they reported on continue to resonate.

The Indonesian presidential race is nearing an end and the polls are indicating that, whoever wins, the victory will be narrow.

There is real fear that should Prabowo Subianto edge out his challenger, Joko Widodo, Indonesia's experiment with democracy will at least diminish, if not entirely end.

It is disturbing that there remains such a political throwback to Indonesia's darker past. But it is perhaps more disturbing that close to, or possibly slightly more than, half of Indonesia's voters are expected to support him.

A former Indonesian special forces officer, who witnessed the deaths of the Balibo Five in 1975, has confirmed the group was murdered by Indonesian soldiers. Damien Kingsbury says Indonesia's determination to cover up the truth behind the deaths has its roots in the rule of former President Suharto. The outspokenness of a former army officer, willing to break ranks on the issue, shows old political methods are at last under challenge.

Barack Obama this week announced he would increase US troop numbers in Afghanistan with a view to beginning to withdraw from the country in 2011. Damien Kingsbury says if Obama's strategy is designed to bring resolution to the war in Afghanistan it will probably fail.

It is suspected that supporters of the Tamil Tigers - proscribed as a terrorist organisation in many countries - may be among Sri Lankan asylum seekers trying to reach Australia. Should Australia be worried? Damien Kingsbury explains.